The invention relates to the printing of a bar code and other matter on plastic film used to form a plastic or poly bag in which one or more articles is packaged.
Heretofore, plastic film as used in poly bags has been typically imprinted by using impact printers. However, the past printing techniques have not provided a highly accurate and reliable imprint of bar codes and the like printed matter on the plastic film. If the bar code is not accurately printed, then the bar code cannot be accurately read by a bar code scanner. In retail pricing use, personnel must be sent to manually determine the price, or the price is incorrectly input. Inaccurate bar code readings cause waste in time in manually discerning and inputting prices, and also result in inaccurate inventory control. Many of the problems associated with poor quality bar code printing and inaccurate bar code readings have to do with impact printing.
Various printer apparatus and method have been proposed for utilizing thermal printings on sheet material such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,080,512; 5,101,222; and 5,162,815. However, these and other thermal printer apparatus and method have not provided an entirely suitable printing on plastic film.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a printer for imprinting plastic film with bar code and the like printed matter in a simple yet reliable manner.
Another object of the invention is to provide a printer for imprinting plastic film used in the formation of poly bags for packaging articles.
Another object of the invention is to provide a printer for imprinting plastic film used in forming poly bags for packaging articles which can imprint the plastic film in the form of a single layer or in the form of a pre-formed bag having two or more layers.
Another object of the invention is to provide a printer for imprinting plastic film which is fed to a packing machine for the formation of poly bags for packaging articles in which the printer may be associated with the packaging machine such as an integral assembly at the infeed end of the packaging machine, or the printer may be used as a stand alone unit.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a printer for imprinting plastic film or other sheet material in a continuous manner at preselected panel areas of the film or other material.